Iran conveys negotiation conditions amid rising Middle East tensions

TEHRAN: (News Desk) – Iran has conveyed its conditions for negotiations with the United States through Qatari and Pakistani mediators as tensions continue to intensify across the Middle East.

According to 24NewsHD TV, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said consultations with Qatari and Pakistani mediators were still underway.

Rezaei said Washington would benefit from accepting Tehran’s conditions if it wanted to find a way out of the ongoing conflict. He added that Iran was prepared for what he described as a decisive war, warning that threats from US President Donald Trump would not achieve any results.

Earlier this month, Rezaei had said Iran was adopting a new strategy covering military operations, diplomacy and efforts to counter the US economic blockade.

Meanwhile, tensions also appeared to affect US presidential travel plans. AFP reported that President Donald Trump unexpectedly returned to the White House on Saturday after cutting short his weekend stay at Camp David.

The White House did not immediately explain the change in schedule, although presidential travel plans can be altered for several reasons, including weather conditions. Forecasts for the Camp David area had predicted rain and thunderstorms on Sunday.

The development came as the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said the Iran-backed group had launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh at dawn. The report came after a fire was also reported near Saudi Arabia’s international airport.

Amid the heightened tensions, the US State Department and several American embassies issued security alerts for US citizens in the region.

The warnings cited the possibility of an unforeseen escalation and referred to previous attacks by Iran-backed Houthis against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports. The State Department warned that the conflict could escalate rapidly and advised Americans outside the Middle East to seriously reconsider travel to and through the region.

Pakistan has also continued diplomatic engagement amid the growing tensions. On September 19, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

During the call, Dar stressed the importance of uninterrupted energy supplies and the safe and swift movement of ships, while both sides agreed to maintain close cooperation.